


heart beat like rain

by immolationfox



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Fluff, M/M, friends to (eventual) lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:27:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26229445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/immolationfox/pseuds/immolationfox
Summary: "I'm not here to see Auntie Lin."Mako paused, and turned to face Iroh.“You’re- you’re not?”Iroh crossed his arms and smiled."Mako, I'm here to see you."
Relationships: Iroh II/Mako (Avatar)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 114





	heart beat like rain

**Author's Note:**

> i don't even know what to say. here. rarepair fluff shit. i dunno man. bone app the teeth

"Detective Mako!"

Mako turned, surprise and a touch of delight coloring his face before he even laid eyes on General Iroh, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. The General was smiling and he held up a hand in a wave. Mako waved without thinking about it, and wove his way through the bullpen over to Iroh.

"General!" he said. "I didn't know you were in town."

Iroh laughed as Mako gestured to his office, and led him inside.

"Really? Two of our ships have been anchored in the docks for a few days now."

"Oh," Mako said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've been pretty busy lately here at the precinct. Anyway, I think Lin is in her office, if you wanna stop in."

Iroh gave Mako an odd look.

"I'm not here to see Auntie."

Mako paused, and turned to face Iroh.

“You’re- you’re not?”

Iroh crossed his arms and smiled.

"Mako, I'm here to see _you._ "

Mako blinked.

"You- oh."

“If I were here to see Auntie Lin, I would just go right in,” he said, laughter coloring his tone. He gestured vaguely to Mako fiddling with papers on his desk. “I know you said you were busy, but it sounds like you could use a break. How about we go for lunch at that tempura place a block away?”

Mako’s hands stilled over the papers and manila folders. He looked up. Opened his mouth. Shut it. Opened it again.

“That’d - that’d be nice.”

Iroh beamed, and Mako flushed, looking away. He straightened up a pile of papers, and adjusted his shirt sleeves. As he began to put his coat on, Iroh got his attention.

“Wait, wait,” he said, walking over. “Your suspenders are twisted.”

Mako held very still as Iroh fussed over his crooked suspenders and absolutely did not think about their proximity and Iroh’s natural warmth as a firebender. Iroh straightened his collar and smoothed down wrinkles across Mako’s shoulders. 

“There,” he said, giving Mako’s shoulders a satisfied pat. “All fixed. Let’s stop in Lin’s office so I can tell her I’m stealing you for lunch.”

“Okay,” Mako said, trailing after Iroh as he pulled on his coat. Iroh wasn’t a particularly loud or flamboyant person, but he inherited the apparently genetic ability to quietly command the attention of a room, or so smoothly, it was probably not on purpose, take command of any given situation. Like telling Mako they’re going for lunch. Not that he minded. Mako had a bad habit of working through meals. Lin did too, so even when they were the only ones left, they always forgot to eat. Most of the time, anyway, sometimes one of them would remember that eating is a thing people do, and would go get some takeout for them to share over case notes. 

Iroh tapped twice on Lin’s door and didn’t wait for a response. He pushed in, already grinning, and called out,

“Auntie Lin! I’m stealing Mako for lunch.”

Lin tried valiantly to hide a smile from her self proclaimed favorite nephew, but it didn’t work. Regardless of the smile on her face, Lin huffed and crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair.

“Hello to you, too. That’s pretty inconsiderate of you.”

Iroh continued his steady stride and only stopped at Lin’s desk, where he leaned over to kiss her cheek.

“I’ll make it up to you, don’t worry. We’re going to that tempura place down the road. We’ll pass your favorite bao bun cart on the way.”

Lin scowled in an attempt to not look pleased.

“I suppose that’ll have to do, hm, nephew?” She tilted her head to look at Mako over Iroh’s broad shoulders and raised an eyebrow. “Keep him in line, will you, Mako? Iroh has a habit of making everyone fall in love with him without even trying.”

She very kindly did not acknowledge the way Mako coughed abruptly and ducked his head to hide in his scarf. 

“Uh, yeah, you got it, Chief.”

“Now,” she said, turning back to Iroh, “get out of my office. I’m a very busy person.”

A laughing Iroh herded Mako out of her office, waving over his shoulder and giving promises of returning at some point, with both Mako and her bao buns. It was nearing winter in Republic City, the breeze that whipped through the streets and joined force with the breeze from passing cars making Mako wish his coat was a little thicker. He didn’t think he could ever get rid of it though, not in good conscious, when he had other things to pay for, like bills and food. As it happened, he and Iroh just huddled next to each other, put their heads down, and rushed through the thick of people in an effort to reach the restaurant as quickly as possible. They didn’t say much, too focused on avoiding getting wind burn, but it felt right, felt natural. If silence didn’t feel comfortable, Mako knew he wouldn’t be able to become good friends with that person. 

They reached the restaurant - _Auntie Min’s_ \- soon enough and Iroh pulled the door open, smiling cheerily even though his cheeks were red from the cold wind. Warmth and the smell of fried food rolled out into the street and Mako’s stomach rumbled loudly. Swearing under his breath, he hurried inside, really hoping Iroh hadn’t heard that. He reached up and adjusted his hair, knowing it had inevitably gotten mused from both his hands, while he was working, and then again, probably in the wind. Iroh’s hair hadn’t moved at all, Mako realized, a little enviously, as he glanced over to watch Iroh peruse the menu eagerly. Well- he was in the Navy. His pomade was probably military grade. 

He snorted, trying to not laugh at his own joke. 

Iroh shot him a bemused, though still cheery, look as he ushered Mako towards the counter. Mako shook his head in the ‘tell you later’ way, and jostled each other, grinning, trying to decide who gets to order first. In the end, Mako ended up clutching the back of Iroh’s coat to keep balance and Iroh ordered first. Peering over Iroh’s stupidly broad shoulders, he accidentally made eye contact with the probably-no-more-than-fourteen year old that Mako had interacted with several times before. The kid knew he was the police chief’s right hand man. The kid now knew that the police chief’s right hand man would hide behind General Iroh II, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, because he didn’t want to order first. 

Mako quickly released Iroh’s jacket and muttered his order. He would never live this down. He could feel it.

“So, where do you want to sit?” Iroh asked, putting his hand lightly against Mako’s back as they surveyed the slightly cramped restaurant interior. Mako Did Not Blush.

“Oh,” he said. “Uh. Wherever you’re most comfortable. I don’t mind.”

And that was true, to an extent. He resisted the urge to shoot Iroh a grateful look when he steered them to a table in the front corner and offered Mako the chair against the wall. Mako had clear lines of sight to the door and of the whole restaurant. Iroh’s face was mildly obscured by the vase of bright yellow, fresh winter jasmine in the center of the table, but Mako didn’t mind. It looked nice. Aesthetically pleasing?

Whatever. 

They exchanged pleasant chit-chat that normally would have bugged Mako, but telling Iroh about how Bolin was doing, and about his new baby niece was actually somewhat enjoyable. Mako had three pictures in his wallet. One of him, Bolin, and their parents, a poorly shot photo of him and Lin at Korra’s birthday party last year, and the newest picture, Bolin and Opal beaming proudly into the camera with Jade on her hundredth day celebration, a photo he very proudly showed Iroh. 

Then it was Iroh’s turn to gesture widely to emphasize how amazing his little sister was doing. She was already much better at the political side of being royalty that Iroh had so far made an attempt to avoid. 

“You know,” Iroh began, lowing his tone as he leaned his chin on his hand and fiddled with one of the stems of winter jasmine, “I’ve been thinking about stepping away from the duties of Crown Prince.”

Mako made a surprised sound.

“Yeah,” Iroh continued mildly. “The thought only just occurred to me. I don’t enjoy politics. My mother didn’t have much of a choice, but I know my sister has expressed more interest in becoming Firelord than I ever did.”

“That’s a big decision,” Mako said, leaning backward in his chair and rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Have you spoken to anyone else about it?”

To Mako’s surprise, however, Iroh shook his head.

“No. I mean, I haven’t exactly been anywhere to talk to someone. I’ve not been in Republic City long, and before now, we were stationed further down the coast, trying to help settle some unrest that hasn’t died down since Kuvira.”

As much as he wanted to, Mako did not comment on Kuvira. That was a conversation he had had _too_ many times. He nodded, instead.

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I-” but before he could finish his sentence, three things happened:

  1. Someone dropped a dish, the shattering clatter startling both Mako and Iroh halfway out of their chairs.
  2. A waiter carried over Mako and Iroh’s full tray of food.
  3. The door banged open, the bell jangling harshly, as one of the lieutenants, Chan, burst inside, looking frantic.



Mako and Iroh exchanged a look, and as Mako got to his feet, collecting his coat and scarf and met Chan at the door, he heard Iroh murmur, “Can we get this to go?” to the waiter. Chan had given Mako the rundown - they found a body at the closed warehouse on First and East Jin - by the time Iroh pushed his way outside, juggling several cartons of food. Wordlessly, Mako took a few as he told Chan to run back to the precinct and tell a squad to get ready to meet him over there. Chan ran off, and Mako gave Iroh a curious side-glance.

“Want to see your first crime scene?”

A slow smile began to pull at Iroh’s mouth.

“Sure,” he said, “we just can’t forget Auntie Lin’s bao buns.”

**Author's Note:**

> for the record, iroh attempts to romance mako for like seven years before mako gets the hint. 
> 
> lin: are you seducing my best detective  
> iroh, frustrated: im _trying._ i wouldn't bet money on him being your best detective


End file.
